The Swoop! [Hardcover]

P. G. Wodehouse (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2004

It may be thought by some that in the pages which follow I have painted in too lurid colors the horrors of a foreign invasion of England. Realism in art, it may be argued, can be carried too far. I prefer to think that the majority of my readers will acquit me of a desire to be unduly sensational. It is necessary that England should be roused to a sense of her peril, and only by setting down without flinching the probable results of an invasion can this be done. This story, I may mention, has been written and published purely from a feeling of patriotism and duty. Mr. Alston Rivers' sensitive soul will be jarred to its foundations if it is a financial success. So will mine. But in a time of national danger we feel that the risk must be taken. After all, at the worst, it is a small sacrifice to make for our country. -- P.G. WODEHOUSE

Product Details

• Hardcover: 148 pages
• Publisher: Wildside Press (January 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0809598175
• ISBN-13: 978-0809598175
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,485,561 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars How Wodehouse saved the Swoop, November 24, 2005

By 

E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Swoop! (Paperback)

Legendary humorist P.G. Wodehouse is best known for his upper-crust, screwball comedies, especially those of aristocratic goof Bertie Wooster and his serene valet Jeeves.

But Wodehouse was only embarking on his long, prestigious literary career when he wrote "The Swoop! Or, How Clarence Saved England." It's a very brief novel, lacking in Wodehouse's usual complexity, but it's still an amusing (if brief) read.

A faithful Boy Scout, Clarence is one of those kids who worries a lot about their country -- almost too much. He belongs to a pleasantly staid family who think he's a little nuts, because of his constant moans about how England has deteriorated. But it seems that he might be at least partly right when German prince invades during tea.

Nine other hostile armies invade England, much to the indignation of the populace. Unfortunately, the English don't put up much of a resistance, since "the Socialists had condemned the army system as unsocial." And suddenly Clarence and the Boy Scouts are the thing standing between Endland and total occupation.

"At last I begin to realise the horrors of an invasion -- for the invaders." Wodehouse wrote this amusing little book before World War II -- during that war, the idea of Germans invading wouldn't have been as funny. But the ideas are still quite amusing: of a smallish invasion force being politely but firmly ejected from an Essex house, because they interrupted teatime.

Plotwise, it's not very complex. In fact, compared to his usual tangles of love, blackmail and stolen policemen's helmets, it's simple. But it is amusing, the idea of a bunch of Boy Scouts overthrowing nine different invading forces. Wodehouse's entertaining dialogue is brilliantly absurd. ("An hour ago your camp was silently surrounded by patrols of Boy Scouts, armed with catapults and hockey-sticks").

"The Swoop! Or How Clarence Saved England" is a fun little novel by a master humorist, who was just starting to find his niche when he wrote it. It's not the best that P.G. Wodehouse wrote, but it's still amusing.